Oil-gage



L. L. WINTERS.

' OIL GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 22, 1920.

390,415, Panmdsept. 13,1921.

I4 I l nl III A* l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE L. wrN'rER's, oFANN Aaron, MICHIGAN.

OIL-GAGE. V

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEE L. WINTERS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Ann Arbor, in the 'county of Washtenaw and State ofMichigan, have made an Invention Appertainingto Oil-Gages; and I dohereby declare the following to be a f ull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification. Y

My invention has for its object to provide an oil gage that isparticularly adapted for indicating the amount of oil in the crank shaftcasing of an engine, which will accurately and clearly indicate theamount of oil in the shell or casing and yet which is so constructedthat the oil cannot escape from the indicator. It also has Aforitsobject to provide in an exposed gage or indicator the means wherebydirt or mud will be discharged and indicating means will not be cloggedor hampered by dirt and mud that may be thrown upon the gage.

The invention has for its object other features and advantages whichwill appear from the following description and upon examination of thedrawings.

The invention may be contained in structures of different forms and beused for indicating levels of liquids of different kinds. To illustratea practical application of the invention I have selected a structurecontaining the invention and shall describe it hereinafter. Thestructure selected is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l of the drawings illustrates a part of a crankshaft casing of aFord automobile and the gage embodying my invention attached thereto.Fig. 2 is a top view of the gage. Fig. 3 is a sectional view, and

Fig. et illustrates the float and rod which is operated by the oil.

In the drawings, l is a crank shaft casing of a Ford engine, which, asis well known,-is provided with a pair of bosses 2 and 3 located on therear side of an enlarged portion of the casing in which are commonlyinserted pet cocks by means of which the level of the oil within theshell may, under' certain conditions, be approximately estimated byopening one or both'of the pet cocks. The flow or the rate of flow fromI Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 13y '1921.

Application i1er1'0ctober'22, 1920. SerialNo. 418,654.

one or both of the pet cocksriwill indicate to an experienced driver ofa Ford machine the approximate location of the o1l.

The construction contaming my invention as shown in Fig. 1.k

The structure containing my invention is provided with a shortconnecting pipe 4 to which a shell 5 is secured. The pipe 4 con-v nectsthe interior of the shell 5 with the in terior of the crank shaftcasing 1. The pipe is secured in the boss 6 formed at the lower end ofthe shell 5. rlhe oil passes from the crank shaft casing l through thepipe l and into the shell 5 and fills the shell 5 to the same level atwhich it exists in the crank shaft casing. A float 7 Vpreferably formedof coated cork is located in the shell 5.l The cork 7 floats on thesurface of the oil and consequently raises and lowers in the shell 5 asthe llevel in the crank shaftcasing l changes. A rod8 which may becoated with 1s secured in the cork 7. The position of the rod 8 relativeto the top of the shell 5 will indicate thelevel of the oil in the shellY 5 and consequently in the crank shaft casp ing l. l

Inasmuch as the shell 5 is on the outside of the car and consequently inan exposed position, mud and water will splash upon the shell 5 and alsodust and dirt will collect thereon. This would ordinarily tend to clogand retard or prevent the movements of the Irod 8 through the opening 9.In order to prevent the retention of any particles near the opening 9that might clog the rod 8, the top 10 of the shell 5 is made domeshaped,which will cause the mudand dirt to be thrown from the top of the shell5.

In connection with a number of engines, and particularly in connectionwith the Ford engine, the oil located in the crank shaft casing ischurned to such'an extent that it gives the same appearance as though itwere boiling, which causes it to fall and rise to an ap- 1 parent levelmuch greater than the oil would be if it were in a-quiescent state. Theoil when'it is churned lby the rapidly rotating crank shaft will enterthe shell 5 and raise the float to the top of the shell 5 and under manyconditions will force its way out Y through the opening 9. In order t0prevent the escape of the oil from the shell 5 shaped top of the shell 5to the float 7 when 5 the float is up. The rod 8 passes up through thecenter of the felt block l1 and thus the felt block l1 is pressedagainst the under side of the dome-shaped top 10. and thus the opening 9is seaed and escape of the oil s prevented. Y

The lower end of the shell 5 may be closed by any suitable means, but Ihave found it preferable to close the lower end of the shell 5 after theoat ll and the parts attached thereto, or connected therewith, areinserted in the shell 5, by means of the expansible washer l2. A Y

In an oil gage for a crank shaft casing', a do1ne-shaped shell, a floatlocated in the shell, a rod connected to the ioat and extending throughthe top of the'shell, and a block of felt located on the float andaround the rod for seating within the dome and around the openingthrough which the rod extends. p

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecification.

LEE L. WINTERs.

